Why should teachers consider pedagogical content knowledge within their subject areas?
Main, P (2023, January 26). Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Retrieved from https://www.structural-learning.com/post/pedagogical-content-knowledge
This is the teachers' ability to synthesize pedagogical knowledge within subject matter knowledge. It was initially a science education-based idea to support science teachers in teaching the tricky parts of the syllabus.
It has now become a valuable tool in our planning as it enables teachers to think about what they want to teach and how they want to teach it. As expert teachers and teaching professionals, we naturally ln our teaching sessions enable students to be supported to understand subject matter through various pedagogical techniques and tools such as think pair share and mind mapping, therefore, displaying effective teaching and promoting student success.
However, novice or pre-service teachers often cannot organize the teaching content as they are developing their pedological practices and building up their pedological toolkit from studying empirical studies or research.
In this article, we will explore the key ideas underpinning PCK, look at tools to support our understanding and enrich our knowledge on the subject.
Therefore, it is useful to support novice teachers in understanding how to support their student's learning and success best. Vital therefore is a consideration of the following key ideas to support effective teaching; these can be used in isolation or together :
According to Shulman (1986), Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is a type of knowledge that is unique to teachers and is based on how teachers relate their pedagogical knowledge (what they know about teaching) to their subject matter knowledge (what they know about what they teach). The integration or synthesis of teachers' pedagogical knowledge and their subject matter knowledge comprises pedagogical content knowledge.
Cochran, DeRuiter, & King (1993) revised Shulman's original model to be more consistent with a constructivist perspective on teaching and learning. They described a model of pedagogical content knowledge(PCK) that results from an integration of four major components,
The diagram below outlines the main elements that pedological content knowledge encompasses.
The expert teacher can fully support students' development by understanding how to help students with the tricky content within the curriculum. This ability to know how to teach content is the essence of the expert teacher.
Using Urie Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological system theory enables the teacher, expert or novice, to understand the social, cultural and economic factors that may contribute to student learning. It is one of the most accepted explanations regarding the influence of social environments on human development.
This theory argues that the environment you grow up in affects every facet of your life. Five environmental systems interact with each other and influence child development and learning. As teachers, if we have an understanding of these factors, we can plan and implement learning situations that will support success. These five systems are :
Understanding what teaching strategies work for groups or individuals will improve student success rates, develop student success and foster student learning. A teacher can plan more effectively by considering these influences on student learning. This teaching perspective is very humanistic and enabled by Maslow's (1943) hierarchy of needs, whereby the basic needs must first be met before learning can occur.
One helpful tool to use when thinking about PCK is content representation models. This model was first used by Loughran Berry and Mulhall (2006) to support science teachers and engineers to make content more meaningful for their students.
Their research with pre-service chemistry teachers concluded that as novices, they have insufficient PCK to support student learning effectively. It uses several vital questions to plan content and can be used by both novice and expert teachers.
It essentially breaks down difficult questions by reflecting on critical questions before a teaching experience. In a further paper, Loughran (2013) explains the complex relationship between pedagogy and learning by saying that In much of the literature, pedagogy is portrayed as a synonym for teaching, which is both narrow and superficial.
However, it should be viewed as embedded in the relationship between education and learning. Therefore, how the teaching–learning relationship is understood, recognized and developed in the educational setting is essential. Thus, our understanding of pedagogy is substantially enhanced through a deep and rich experience of pedagogical content knowledge and the pedagogy of teacher education.
A simplified version of content representation which teachers can use to enhance planning and practice can be seen below.
Content Representation Matrix
Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) stands at the intersection of subject matter expertise and effective pedagogical strategies, forming a conceptual framework crucial for teacher professional growth. According to a report in the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 70% of successful teaching practices rely on a robust foundation of PCK.
Dr. Judith Grossman, a leading educator, points out, "Pedagogical content knowledge is not an 'add-on'— it is the heart of good teaching. It's about knowing how to make a subject understandable to learners while anticipating misconceptions." Therefore, a strategic, committed focus on enhancing PCK can significantly improve teaching effectiveness and student outcomes.
According to educational expert Uri Treisman, "The best teacher is the best learner." This sentiment is backed by data showing a 25% increase in student performance when teachers possess high levels of pedagogical content knowledge.
Example: Mr. Johnson, a math teacher, attends a specialized workshop on teaching algebra. He learns new methods to explain complex equations and incorporates technology to provide interactive lessons. His students' performance improves by 20% in the subsequent term.
This article has examined the relationship between pedological content knowledge and our practice. By reflecting on our practice and the elements that support our pedagogy, we can develop our teaching knowledge and be more effective. By understanding pedological content knowledge, the success of our students will be significantly enhanced.
With pedagogical content knowledge, teachers can apply educational theories, best practices, and techniques to teach their subjects effectively.
By having a deep understanding of the subject matter and how to use it, teachers can develop strategies to convey the knowledge engagingly. With this knowledge for teaching, teachers can better create lessons that engage and challenge students while also helping them understand the material and build successful learning experiences.
In addition to pedagogical content knowledge, teachers should also have a strong understanding of the professional knowledge required for being practical and engaging teachers.
This includes research on practice in teaching, psychological aspects of learning, instructional design models and strategies, and classroom management skills. This deep understanding and professionalism will help ensure that teachers can effectively teach their subjects to create successful learning experiences.
Here are five studies focusing on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and its implications for learning outcomes, each providing insights into how teachers' knowledge influences educational practices and student achievements:
1. Content Knowledge for Teaching by Deborah Loewenberg Ball, M. Thames, & Geoffrey Phelps (2008). This study builds on Shulman's concept of PCK to develop a practice-based theory of content knowledge for teaching, particularly in mathematics. It identifies subdomains within PCK and introduces specialized content knowledge unique to teaching, suggesting that a deep understanding of subject matter combined with insights into how students learn can significantly enhance instructional quality.
2. Exploring Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Science Teacher Education by J. Loughran, P. Mulhall, & A. Berry (2008). This case study examines how introducing pre-service teachers to PCK concepts through CoRes and PaP-eRs influences their development as science teachers. It demonstrates that explicit teaching about PCK can shape student-teachers’ thinking about their instructional strategies and their growth as educators.
3. Professional Competence of Teachers: Effects on Instructional Quality and Student Development" by Mareike Kunter et al. (2013). This research investigates how teachers' PCK, professional beliefs, motivation, and self-regulation affect instructional quality and student outcomes in German secondary schools. It found positive effects of teachers’ PCK on instructional quality, which in turn improved student achievements and motivation.
3. Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge, Cognitive Activation in the Classroom, and Student Progress by J. Baumert et al. (2010). This study links teachers’ content knowledge and PCK to high-quality instruction and student progress in mathematics. It highlights the significant impact of PCK on students’ learning gains, mediated by cognitive activation and individual learning support in the classroom.
4. Declarative and dynamic pedagogical content knowledge as elicited through two video‐based interview methods by Alicia C. Alonzo & Jiwon Kim (2016). This paper argues for the measurement of dynamic aspects of PCK and proposes two video-based interview methods to elicit teachers’ PCK. It found differences in teachers’ declarative and dynamic PCK, suggesting that dynamic PCK may underlie teachers’ instructional decision-making in real-time classroom contexts.
These studies collectively highlight the critical role of PCK in enhancing instructional quality and student learning outcomes. They suggest that teacher education programs should focus on developing both the content knowledge and the pedagogical skills necessary for effective teaching, emphasizing the dynamic application of PCK in classroom settings.
This is the teachers' ability to synthesize pedagogical knowledge within subject matter knowledge. It was initially a science education-based idea to support science teachers in teaching the tricky parts of the syllabus.
It has now become a valuable tool in our planning as it enables teachers to think about what they want to teach and how they want to teach it. As expert teachers and teaching professionals, we naturally ln our teaching sessions enable students to be supported to understand subject matter through various pedagogical techniques and tools such as think pair share and mind mapping, therefore, displaying effective teaching and promoting student success.
However, novice or pre-service teachers often cannot organize the teaching content as they are developing their pedological practices and building up their pedological toolkit from studying empirical studies or research.
In this article, we will explore the key ideas underpinning PCK, look at tools to support our understanding and enrich our knowledge on the subject.
Therefore, it is useful to support novice teachers in understanding how to support their student's learning and success best. Vital therefore is a consideration of the following key ideas to support effective teaching; these can be used in isolation or together :
According to Shulman (1986), Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is a type of knowledge that is unique to teachers and is based on how teachers relate their pedagogical knowledge (what they know about teaching) to their subject matter knowledge (what they know about what they teach). The integration or synthesis of teachers' pedagogical knowledge and their subject matter knowledge comprises pedagogical content knowledge.
Cochran, DeRuiter, & King (1993) revised Shulman's original model to be more consistent with a constructivist perspective on teaching and learning. They described a model of pedagogical content knowledge(PCK) that results from an integration of four major components,
The diagram below outlines the main elements that pedological content knowledge encompasses.
The expert teacher can fully support students' development by understanding how to help students with the tricky content within the curriculum. This ability to know how to teach content is the essence of the expert teacher.
Using Urie Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological system theory enables the teacher, expert or novice, to understand the social, cultural and economic factors that may contribute to student learning. It is one of the most accepted explanations regarding the influence of social environments on human development.
This theory argues that the environment you grow up in affects every facet of your life. Five environmental systems interact with each other and influence child development and learning. As teachers, if we have an understanding of these factors, we can plan and implement learning situations that will support success. These five systems are :
Understanding what teaching strategies work for groups or individuals will improve student success rates, develop student success and foster student learning. A teacher can plan more effectively by considering these influences on student learning. This teaching perspective is very humanistic and enabled by Maslow's (1943) hierarchy of needs, whereby the basic needs must first be met before learning can occur.
One helpful tool to use when thinking about PCK is content representation models. This model was first used by Loughran Berry and Mulhall (2006) to support science teachers and engineers to make content more meaningful for their students.
Their research with pre-service chemistry teachers concluded that as novices, they have insufficient PCK to support student learning effectively. It uses several vital questions to plan content and can be used by both novice and expert teachers.
It essentially breaks down difficult questions by reflecting on critical questions before a teaching experience. In a further paper, Loughran (2013) explains the complex relationship between pedagogy and learning by saying that In much of the literature, pedagogy is portrayed as a synonym for teaching, which is both narrow and superficial.
However, it should be viewed as embedded in the relationship between education and learning. Therefore, how the teaching–learning relationship is understood, recognized and developed in the educational setting is essential. Thus, our understanding of pedagogy is substantially enhanced through a deep and rich experience of pedagogical content knowledge and the pedagogy of teacher education.
A simplified version of content representation which teachers can use to enhance planning and practice can be seen below.
Content Representation Matrix
Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) stands at the intersection of subject matter expertise and effective pedagogical strategies, forming a conceptual framework crucial for teacher professional growth. According to a report in the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 70% of successful teaching practices rely on a robust foundation of PCK.
Dr. Judith Grossman, a leading educator, points out, "Pedagogical content knowledge is not an 'add-on'— it is the heart of good teaching. It's about knowing how to make a subject understandable to learners while anticipating misconceptions." Therefore, a strategic, committed focus on enhancing PCK can significantly improve teaching effectiveness and student outcomes.
According to educational expert Uri Treisman, "The best teacher is the best learner." This sentiment is backed by data showing a 25% increase in student performance when teachers possess high levels of pedagogical content knowledge.
Example: Mr. Johnson, a math teacher, attends a specialized workshop on teaching algebra. He learns new methods to explain complex equations and incorporates technology to provide interactive lessons. His students' performance improves by 20% in the subsequent term.
This article has examined the relationship between pedological content knowledge and our practice. By reflecting on our practice and the elements that support our pedagogy, we can develop our teaching knowledge and be more effective. By understanding pedological content knowledge, the success of our students will be significantly enhanced.
With pedagogical content knowledge, teachers can apply educational theories, best practices, and techniques to teach their subjects effectively.
By having a deep understanding of the subject matter and how to use it, teachers can develop strategies to convey the knowledge engagingly. With this knowledge for teaching, teachers can better create lessons that engage and challenge students while also helping them understand the material and build successful learning experiences.
In addition to pedagogical content knowledge, teachers should also have a strong understanding of the professional knowledge required for being practical and engaging teachers.
This includes research on practice in teaching, psychological aspects of learning, instructional design models and strategies, and classroom management skills. This deep understanding and professionalism will help ensure that teachers can effectively teach their subjects to create successful learning experiences.
Here are five studies focusing on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and its implications for learning outcomes, each providing insights into how teachers' knowledge influences educational practices and student achievements:
1. Content Knowledge for Teaching by Deborah Loewenberg Ball, M. Thames, & Geoffrey Phelps (2008). This study builds on Shulman's concept of PCK to develop a practice-based theory of content knowledge for teaching, particularly in mathematics. It identifies subdomains within PCK and introduces specialized content knowledge unique to teaching, suggesting that a deep understanding of subject matter combined with insights into how students learn can significantly enhance instructional quality.
2. Exploring Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Science Teacher Education by J. Loughran, P. Mulhall, & A. Berry (2008). This case study examines how introducing pre-service teachers to PCK concepts through CoRes and PaP-eRs influences their development as science teachers. It demonstrates that explicit teaching about PCK can shape student-teachers’ thinking about their instructional strategies and their growth as educators.
3. Professional Competence of Teachers: Effects on Instructional Quality and Student Development" by Mareike Kunter et al. (2013). This research investigates how teachers' PCK, professional beliefs, motivation, and self-regulation affect instructional quality and student outcomes in German secondary schools. It found positive effects of teachers’ PCK on instructional quality, which in turn improved student achievements and motivation.
3. Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge, Cognitive Activation in the Classroom, and Student Progress by J. Baumert et al. (2010). This study links teachers’ content knowledge and PCK to high-quality instruction and student progress in mathematics. It highlights the significant impact of PCK on students’ learning gains, mediated by cognitive activation and individual learning support in the classroom.
4. Declarative and dynamic pedagogical content knowledge as elicited through two video‐based interview methods by Alicia C. Alonzo & Jiwon Kim (2016). This paper argues for the measurement of dynamic aspects of PCK and proposes two video-based interview methods to elicit teachers’ PCK. It found differences in teachers’ declarative and dynamic PCK, suggesting that dynamic PCK may underlie teachers’ instructional decision-making in real-time classroom contexts.
These studies collectively highlight the critical role of PCK in enhancing instructional quality and student learning outcomes. They suggest that teacher education programs should focus on developing both the content knowledge and the pedagogical skills necessary for effective teaching, emphasizing the dynamic application of PCK in classroom settings.
